Player indiscipline forces postponement of Fraser basketball league

The innocent pays for the guilty. All action in the Hon. Julian Fraser Save The Seed Basketball League has been halted, because of players’ behavior

By Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway

Player indiscipline and unsportsmanlike conduct that has plagued the BVI Basketball Federation in the past has now raised its ugly head yet again in the 3-year old Hon. Julian Fraser Save The Seed Basketball League.

Officials have postponed the league with immediate effect following Saturday night’s games. The announcement that came at 1:27 p.m. on Sunday afternoon via email from chairman Julian Willock wiped out Sunday night’s games in the process.

“The Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed National Basketball League has announced that all basketball games played at the Save the Seed Centre in Duff’s Bottom, effective immediately (including the games tonight Sunday 27, September 2015), have been postponed until further notice,” Willock said in the statement. “We regret the inconvenience and will have an announcement in the coming days on the future of the league.”

During Saturday night’s second game between West Gunners and Splash Brothers, a West Gunners player didn’t like a referee’s call made against him. He angrily yelled at the referee. The referee went to the scorers’ table and while talking to officials the player pushed the referee in his back. His teammates restrained him and the game was forfeited in Splash Brothers’ favor. The last game between Knights and New Heights went off without incident, before Sunday’s surprise announcement that the league was being postponed.

Officials had earlier taken note of the unsportsmanlike behavior taking place in the league and on Sept 22, Willock sent a warning notice to players, coaches and managers via email. The statement said that the League Committee is advising all team owners, managers, coaches, referees, captains and players that, as stated in the rules and by-Laws of the Hon. Julian Fraser Save the Seed National Basketball League, all teams are expected to behave in a manner that brings credit to his or her team and shows respect for the game.

“The Committee has been increasingly receiving reports of players using profanity at each other, coaches, managers and league officials,” the Chairman’s statement noted. “The Committee has also received reports of increasing verbal altercations by players against each other and towards referees. From this point on, improvements in these types of conduct are to be immediate. Team owners, managers, coaches and captains are expected to take responsibility for the behavior of their players. Any further incidents of players failing to comply with the guidelines as set out in the rules and by-laws and refusing to follow referees instructions will result in further corrective actions, which may include expulsion from the league. We do both expect and anticipate your full cooperation in this regard.”